Bando; You have to understand that we are now dealing with "Me first" scouts and scouters in way too many instances. Their personal definitions of the law are contingent on what is the most enjoyable for them, unless something better comes along in the meantime. Ultimately, they make their choices; and the image they leave is not always one they might like later. We have similar attitudes at local levels, often having to expect about 20% fewer to turn out for things than said they would initially.

Of course, skeptic. Which is why I've been so fed up with the feedback around here about this Jamboree. The complaints seem so amazingly shallow and petty compared to the spirit of the Jamboree. The lines were too long. There was too much food. The showers were too cold. The phone app ate too much battery life. On and on and on and on.

Frankly, I would have loved to have seen the look on my old Jamboree scoutmaster's face if one of his scouts, much less an Eagle Scout, had walked up to him and said they weren't going to do something like the Day of Service because they'd rather go trade patches or shoot guns. It would be something to behold.

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As is well known here and elsewhere, I have been one of the harshest critics of the run up to this Jamboree. I'm not a naysayer, but I saw the staff issues coming when they made it impossible for a guy like myself (overweight, but can carry my weight around) to staff Stamp Collecting Merit Badge. Having said that, I have heard nothing but positive responses from the kids and leaders who attended. Yesterday, I had chat with supervisor who came out to check my new air conditioning system. He noticed my Scouting stuff and said his two sons, 12 and 15, had just returned from the Jambo. They were very pleased with the whole thing. Yeah, they had complaints. The younger one didn't like the food and was not understanding of being unable to fire on the pistol range. Long lines and didn't get to do everything they wanted, but woudl they do it again? In a heartbeat, he said. And he would happily pay the $1800 per boy to get them there. So, I've come around a lot on this issue. They now have four years to work on after-action from this one. One issue I was not wrong on was the cold showers. If they don't fix that or allow some way for staff to live off-site, I won't be at the next one except as a guest. Presumably, though, they will by that time find enough qualified people to staff everything. So, I've become something of a Summit booster. Even sent them a donation.

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As is well known here and elsewhere, I have been one of the harshest critics of the run up to this Jamboree. I'm not a naysayer, but I saw the staff issues coming when they made it impossible for a guy like myself (overweight, but can carry my weight around) to staff Stamp Collecting Merit Badge. Having said that, I have heard nothing but positive responses from the kids and leaders who attended. Yesterday, I had chat with supervisor who came out to check my new air conditioning system. He noticed my Scouting stuff and said his two sons, 12 and 15, had just returned from the Jambo. They were very pleased with the whole thing. Yeah, they had complaints. The younger one didn't like the food and was not understanding of being unable to fire on the pistol range. Long lines and didn't get to do everything they wanted, but woudl they do it again? In a heartbeat, he said. And he would happily pay the $1800 per boy to get them there. So, I've come around a lot on this issue. They now have four years to work on after-action from this one. One issue I was not wrong on was the cold showers. If they don't fix that or allow some way for staff to live off-site, I won't be at the next one except as a guest. Presumably, though, they will by that time find enough qualified people to staff everything. So, I've become something of a Summit booster. Even sent them a donation.

I understand and appreciate what you've said, and I think we all have to say that it could have been a whole lot worse! But I won't give them a pass on this one. They knowingly oversold the event. Both literally and figuratively. Expectations for the scouts were nowhere near satisfied. The scouts all saw the hype, the scouts all saw the videos, and most of them said, "I want to that when I get to the Jambo". But they could not, not by a long shot. BSA took advantage of the good will and beliefs that the scouting community has for the program, they over hyped the entire event and then failed to deliver. I don't particularly care about the food, or the long walks, or the heat. They did not pull off the program in an acceptable way.

Too many people that I've spoken to have confused their affinity for the larger program with the Jambo. We all support and believe in the program, and will when necessary defend it. Me included! But I won't allow that to get in the way of making a clear call on the outcome of this Jamboree. The bottom line is that they were disHonorable and unTrustworthy in promoting the event. They were very poorly Prepared to deliver on their promise and they devised some very shady manipulations to cover the deficiencies.

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As is well known here and elsewhere, I have been one of the harshest critics of the run up to this Jamboree. I'm not a naysayer, but I saw the staff issues coming when they made it impossible for a guy like myself (overweight, but can carry my weight around) to staff Stamp Collecting Merit Badge. Having said that, I have heard nothing but positive responses from the kids and leaders who attended. Yesterday, I had chat with supervisor who came out to check my new air conditioning system. He noticed my Scouting stuff and said his two sons, 12 and 15, had just returned from the Jambo. They were very pleased with the whole thing. Yeah, they had complaints. The younger one didn't like the food and was not understanding of being unable to fire on the pistol range. Long lines and didn't get to do everything they wanted, but woudl they do it again? In a heartbeat, he said. And he would happily pay the $1800 per boy to get them there. So, I've come around a lot on this issue. They now have four years to work on after-action from this one. One issue I was not wrong on was the cold showers. If they don't fix that or allow some way for staff to live off-site, I won't be at the next one except as a guest. Presumably, though, they will by that time find enough qualified people to staff everything. So, I've become something of a Summit booster. Even sent them a donation.

Over hype and under delivery is a continual marketing failure in all BSA programs at all levels. Push excitement and thrills is in contrast with the best experiences that are the fellowship and simple activities. BSA can't deliver Disney World. But it can deliver good times throwing a football, hiking, canoeing or sitting up late at night with your friends. All the good will has been built up on the simple stuff.

If scouting markets excitement and thrills, that is how it will be graded and it will fail.

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I'm not saying it's the same, but just think for a minute.....................what would happen if you took your family on vacation to a resort that offered all sorts of great activities. The brochures had great glossy pictures of people doing all sorts of great stuff. You wanted to do this, that, and everything. You expected to be able to do everything because no one told you otherwise. On the contrary, the day before you left you checked the website and everything was hunky-dory. Then when you got there, you couldn't do most the activities that were advertised. What would you do, how would you feel???

One thing most of you would not be doing is touting the virtues of the resort and glossing over the shortcomings.

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I'm not saying it's the same, but just think for a minute.....................what would happen if you took your family on vacation to a resort that offered all sorts of great activities. The brochures had great glossy pictures of people doing all sorts of great stuff. You wanted to do this, that, and everything. You expected to be able to do everything because no one told you otherwise. On the contrary, the day before you left you checked the website and everything was hunky-dory. Then when you got there, you couldn't do most the activities that were advertised. What would you do, how would you feel???

One thing most of you would not be doing is touting the virtues of the resort and glossing over the shortcomings.

Never been to Disney World I take it .

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I'm not saying it's the same, but just think for a minute.....................what would happen if you took your family on vacation to a resort that offered all sorts of great activities. The brochures had great glossy pictures of people doing all sorts of great stuff. You wanted to do this, that, and everything. You expected to be able to do everything because no one told you otherwise. On the contrary, the day before you left you checked the website and everything was hunky-dory. Then when you got there, you couldn't do most the activities that were advertised. What would you do, how would you feel???

One thing most of you would not be doing is touting the virtues of the resort and glossing over the shortcomings.

I have a pretty low bar for vacations. My scouting training has taught me to be content with the bare minimum!

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I'm not saying it's the same, but just think for a minute.....................what would happen if you took your family on vacation to a resort that offered all sorts of great activities. The brochures had great glossy pictures of people doing all sorts of great stuff. You wanted to do this, that, and everything. You expected to be able to do everything because no one told you otherwise. On the contrary, the day before you left you checked the website and everything was hunky-dory. Then when you got there, you couldn't do most the activities that were advertised. What would you do, how would you feel???

One thing most of you would not be doing is touting the virtues of the resort and glossing over the shortcomings.

Were you there? I'm asking because it seems you're completely overstating what the situation really was.

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As is well known here and elsewhere, I have been one of the harshest critics of the run up to this Jamboree. I'm not a naysayer, but I saw the staff issues coming when they made it impossible for a guy like myself (overweight, but can carry my weight around) to staff Stamp Collecting Merit Badge. Having said that, I have heard nothing but positive responses from the kids and leaders who attended. Yesterday, I had chat with supervisor who came out to check my new air conditioning system. He noticed my Scouting stuff and said his two sons, 12 and 15, had just returned from the Jambo. They were very pleased with the whole thing. Yeah, they had complaints. The younger one didn't like the food and was not understanding of being unable to fire on the pistol range. Long lines and didn't get to do everything they wanted, but woudl they do it again? In a heartbeat, he said. And he would happily pay the $1800 per boy to get them there. So, I've come around a lot on this issue. They now have four years to work on after-action from this one. One issue I was not wrong on was the cold showers. If they don't fix that or allow some way for staff to live off-site, I won't be at the next one except as a guest. Presumably, though, they will by that time find enough qualified people to staff everything. So, I've become something of a Summit booster. Even sent them a donation.

Can't deny the over-hype. That was one of my concerns. They came a lot closer than I thought they would, but there was never any way any one Scout could get to do all that stuff in one Jambo.

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As is well known here and elsewhere, I have been one of the harshest critics of the run up to this Jamboree. I'm not a naysayer, but I saw the staff issues coming when they made it impossible for a guy like myself (overweight, but can carry my weight around) to staff Stamp Collecting Merit Badge. Having said that, I have heard nothing but positive responses from the kids and leaders who attended. Yesterday, I had chat with supervisor who came out to check my new air conditioning system. He noticed my Scouting stuff and said his two sons, 12 and 15, had just returned from the Jambo. They were very pleased with the whole thing. Yeah, they had complaints. The younger one didn't like the food and was not understanding of being unable to fire on the pistol range. Long lines and didn't get to do everything they wanted, but woudl they do it again? In a heartbeat, he said. And he would happily pay the $1800 per boy to get them there. So, I've come around a lot on this issue. They now have four years to work on after-action from this one. One issue I was not wrong on was the cold showers. If they don't fix that or allow some way for staff to live off-site, I won't be at the next one except as a guest. Presumably, though, they will by that time find enough qualified people to staff everything. So, I've become something of a Summit booster. Even sent them a donation.

Was there a way a scout could do everything at any other Jamboree? That's kind of the point, isn't it? So many options that there's no way you could fit it all in? Isn't that kind of true in life, too?

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As is well known here and elsewhere, I have been one of the harshest critics of the run up to this Jamboree. I'm not a naysayer, but I saw the staff issues coming when they made it impossible for a guy like myself (overweight, but can carry my weight around) to staff Stamp Collecting Merit Badge. Having said that, I have heard nothing but positive responses from the kids and leaders who attended. Yesterday, I had chat with supervisor who came out to check my new air conditioning system. He noticed my Scouting stuff and said his two sons, 12 and 15, had just returned from the Jambo. They were very pleased with the whole thing. Yeah, they had complaints. The younger one didn't like the food and was not understanding of being unable to fire on the pistol range. Long lines and didn't get to do everything they wanted, but woudl they do it again? In a heartbeat, he said. And he would happily pay the $1800 per boy to get them there. So, I've come around a lot on this issue. They now have four years to work on after-action from this one. One issue I was not wrong on was the cold showers. If they don't fix that or allow some way for staff to live off-site, I won't be at the next one except as a guest. Presumably, though, they will by that time find enough qualified people to staff everything. So, I've become something of a Summit booster. Even sent them a donation.

Last time around the kids in our troop did everything they wanted to do and yes some did everything. They invested the time, they worked at it, and they succeeded. It was very doable.

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I'm not saying it's the same, but just think for a minute.....................what would happen if you took your family on vacation to a resort that offered all sorts of great activities. The brochures had great glossy pictures of people doing all sorts of great stuff. You wanted to do this, that, and everything. You expected to be able to do everything because no one told you otherwise. On the contrary, the day before you left you checked the website and everything was hunky-dory. Then when you got there, you couldn't do most the activities that were advertised. What would you do, how would you feel???

One thing most of you would not be doing is touting the virtues of the resort and glossing over the shortcomings.

I was not there. The opinion IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve formed and the comments IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve made are the result of discussions with over a dozen Scouts, Venturers, and Leaders that were there. And IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ll admit some the bitterness comes from my original recognition that this thing was over hyped, and lacking hard information during the sales and buildup phases leading into the event.

I, like some of the rest of you was able to see a problem evolving early enough for some action to have been taken. That action might have been distasteful. But it would have been honest. Instead they buried the problems.

WhatÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s been really interesting is that the story has been consistent. The youth, the adults, the Venturers, and the Boy Scouts have all said the basically the same things. If youÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re wondering if I prompted them for similar answers IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ll tell you that I was very careful to just let them talk.

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Let me throw this out there as possibly another example of something that might have gone wrongÃ¢â‚¬Â¦Ã¢â‚¬Â¦Ã¢â‚¬Â¦Ã¢â‚¬Â¦Ã¢â‚¬Â¦.. As the story goes, between the skate parks and the BMX courses, there were some 40 broken arms per day. IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve heard variations of the number but I suspect its close. Statistically I have no idea what that number should be, but anecdotally it suggests one of a number of things: 1- facilities that were too difficult for the target audience, 2- Inadequate training for the beginners, 3-Inadequate policing of the activity, or 4-Poor equipment selection for the target audience.